1. Field of Invention
This invention relates in general to collaborative group thinking creations, and in particular to a real-time group intelligence creation system that uses mass volume of Web-based thinking grids to collaborate, mine, unify and assist idea creations and problem solving generations for multiple topics using globally located stationary or mobile devices.
2. Description of Prior Art
Group thinking creation methods, such as brainstorming or brainwriting is well understood in the art, but have many limitations. These methods usually require participants to sit in a confined space, such as meeting room or classroom in order to conduct face-to-face interactions. The size of participants is usually limits to a small number for a given topic under discussion, and simultaneously participation of multiple topics by participants are usually not feasible. Facilitators are typically required to assist and monitor thinking creation processes. The time frame for thinking creation is also limited, since participants usually can only gather for a certain amount of time. Medias to record creation results to be shared with other participants usually are limited to paper (post-it, notepad, card, etc) or board (blackboard, whiteboard, flip chart, etc.). The information recorded on these medias is hard to be consolidated and stored for future reviews. In addition, classifications, extractions, thinking patterns and hints from participant's creations, which can simulate and accelerate creation processes further, are either not available or not feasible. Other limitations of the traditional group thinking creation methods also include: a) it cannot share the creation results with other non-participants during creation processes, b) it cannot unify ideas created and problem solving generated from multiple topics.
The above-mentioned limitations of traditional group thinking creation methods are reflected on many patent inventions. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,901,441 to Graham Bent et al., it describes information sharing system, not intelligence creation, between heterogeneous devices across a network. In another example, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,723 to Danielsen et al reveals a system to provide for listing activities in a graphical user interface in a collaborative work tool framework. Another example is the U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,478 to Rolf C. Smith et al that describes a method using a map to conduct face-to-face teaching for a group of people. In another example, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,693 to James S. Marpe et al discusses a method for collecting and disseminating data retrieved from multiple users in a plurality of categories. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,346, 6,377,288 and 6,509,912 to Thomas P. Moran et al, it discloses a method for supporting meeting objectives for use in a freeform graphics system.
Computational grid is a device that combines hardware and software to provide convenient way for accessing network-based applications. The device could be a mobile device, such as cellphone, PDA, or a stationary device, such as laptop PC, desktop PC. There is a need to extend traditional computational grid to include one's creative idea and problem solving solutions to form a collaborative thinking grid that makes up of mass volume of participants without the need of face-to-face interaction.
Information mining is different from information searching. In information searching, one is typically looking for something that is already known. In information mining, the goal is to discover patterns of unstructured information that have been submitted by participants during thinking creation processes, and no one has yet known. A need also exists to enhance the collaborative group thinking grids with an unstructured information mining engine to mine all ideas or solutions generated by participants. The information mining processes shall be conducted in real-time so that the dynamic effort of simultaneous submissions from multiple participants for multiple related topics can be used to generate thinking classifications, extractions, thinking patterns and hints. By allowing participants to view those thinking classifications, extractions, thinking patterns and hints in real-time, it can simulate and accelerate thinking creation process further.